scott



. R. W. SCOTT. STARTING SELVAGE AND TUCKING DEVICE FOR'KNITTING MACHINES.

. AFPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1914. 1,848,144. Patented July 27,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1- lr'ocle I 0567; 306a? @ZJgGO ZZ R. W. SCOTT.

STARTING SELVAGE AND TUCKING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,19I4.

Patented July 27, 1920,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITEDSTATES Para Bonner w. score on Boston, nessnennsnr'rs, ASSIGN'OR,' av MEsnn nssrenivrnnms, T0 sco'rr & wILLIAMs, Inconroaarnn, A conrcnerron or MASSACHUSETTS.

f srnnrme SELVAGE AND rucmne nnvion KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 11920.

Application filed July 24 1914. Serial No. 852,897.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT W. Scorr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Starting Selvage and ing Devices for Kn t ting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto improvements on an existing type of knitting machine to enable the machine to beg-1n a new section 0?:

fabric automatically uponv needles bare of previous fabric, and to enable the production at any desired time in the operation of tuck stitches for instance to form a stop course to .prevent ravelingof the fabric in the direction in which it-was knit; the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a left side elevation, partly broken away of a suflicient part of hnittinnmachine toshow one illustrative instance of the application of my newde vices "Fig. 2 is a front elevation. f

Fig. 3 is' a detail section showing the needles and web-holders;

Fig.5. 41- is a detail top view of theleading stitch cam;

liig. is axdetailshowing two kinds of needles employed;

Fig. 6 is a development der di: rent positionsof the ram'S;

Figs. 7, 3 and 9 are diagrams illustrating the relation of the needles to the starting); courses;

liigs. l0, 11 and 12 are diagram plans of the needles illustrating another operation for beginning fabric Figs. 13 and 14 are diagram elevations of :web holders and needles.

'llherinvention, WhlCll 1s applicable to 1ndependent needle machines oi any existing type is shown in the drawings for one illustrative embodiment only as applied to a machine of the type shown in Letters Patent 7 September to J51). Hemphill. No. 7, 1909, and in which the needle cylinder is mounted for rotary or reciltn'oeatory moven'ients with respect to relatively stationary stitch came 5), 9, 10, 11.;on a camof the cam cylinshowing the path of the needles -111 two the yarns at carrier 4 movable radially in a gap having cam faces 7 in a cam ring; b which cam ring is stationary except for movements of adjustment to alter the stitch length; said ring: terminating in a ledge at the top at the level of which independently movable latch needles travel at a height insuflicient to advance the ends ofthe latches through the loops held on the shanks of the needles at a level determined by web-holders 20 carried in a bed attached to the needle cylinder.

I provide the machine with devices to secure the taking- ,of the yarn of a first course (which may in part or throughout be formed of overlapped-or multiple yarns from two or more successive feedings) in such a manner that alternate or recurrent needles of the series of needles pass upwardly in front of said first course, as a step in the production of a beginning selvase of the genus shown, described and claimed in my Letters Patent No. 1,045,621, November 26, 1912. Such a selvage is fast against raveling in the direction in which it is knit and moreover provides an efiicient aid to the needles in the machine to cause them all to begin knitting when desired with regularity. The new devices also provide for the operation of recurrent needles to make tuck stitches for anydesired pur pose, for instance to make at a later time in the production of the fabric a stop course to prevent ravelinn' orrunninn; of ladders caused by rupture thereof after it is com-v plete, which stop course may be of the type shown in 3 of the patent of L. A. Costello, No. 976 555, dated November 11, 1910.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the machine improved comprises a pattern or cam shaft 3 upon the end. of which I mount a supple "20 of the machine, whdethen'eedles with t'o-contact with the upper a rocker 38 having one face for contact with the pm 3 1 and another face resting,- normally against stitch cam 8 in the diagonal plane of said stitch cam. n

Said stitch cam, Fig. 41, instead ofbeing rigidly'i'nounted" upon the carrier block 4 sliding radially toward and away from the needle cylinder, as in the machine improved, is pivoted a stud 40,- carried by said block, to move in said diagonal plane, said stud being surrounded by a spring 4]; tending to move the cam "8 down and to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 6 Said cam 8 is slotted at 42 for a shouldered holddown screw, and us usual is provided with an opening through which the picker itXis 45 freely extends.

"East on the top of the top center cam 10 I provide a bent stop piece 50 carrying a limitscre'w 51" in'd jam nut 52, in a position end of the cam 8 and limit its upper swing. V The arrangement issu'ch that when the cam-carrier i is V in operative position the rocker 38 transmits to the cam S-imp'ulse's re eyed ffl'OliI'tllG' lever 31 and pin 3 1, to

' swing; the stit'cl'i earn 8 about the stud so to take itto and holdt-it in the upper p'osi v tion permitted by the screw 51-, in which position said cam is a'dpisted L'or knitting on theb'ackbr reciprocal stroke, and for clearing' all the needles 'en'connter-ing its up: eiface in the 'direetionfor' rotary work; (,1 t permit fsai'd cam Sunder the influence spring 41 to drop against the incline Y UL thecani ring lite lower theeam to revent needles approaching in the direction lei rotary work at the level of the ledge at the top oi the'fcain ring 6 from being advaneed asfar as usual. i i

' Iprovide the inachine withthe usual series of long and "short buttneedlesier the nsual stocking knitting purposes. I i

r In order to cooperate with my improved devices recurrent needles of the series are providedWith latches d0 shorter thanthose oi the remaining needles, so that the entire series of needles whether the long or short butts, will present an alternation of single needles or groups of a plurality of needles -diiferino froineach other'i-n the lengths of 7 their latches.

needl' needle carrier is moving the direction for r Referring now. to 5, and assuming an alt'ernaftlognfof needles w th shorter latches with longer 'atche's, i7, when the rotary work and when the 8 is in its lower position needles with short latches 0:: will clear the said latches'tln'ough their loops'at the usual knockingover instruments th'e lo'ngj latches 1 will notbe advanced far enough to clear their loops at the stitch cam, and will accumulate loops of yarn at each passage of thejstiteh cams.

I provide on the drum 30 a depression 55 in such a position with respect to cams F, f on the drum 7, on shalt s", Fig. 2, for controlling the yarn guide levers d, so as to cause the canrS to take its lower position in a predetermined relation to the feeding of an initial yarn to begin an article.

In the machine improved the shaft 8 is driv'en'by a ratchet motion enabling lhc said shaft 8 to advance during substantially one and one-half revolutions of the needle carrier.

The depression 55 of the supplemental pattern drum 30 may be at a position to cooperate with the lever 31 innncdiaicly after the beginning; of an article to be knit, the lever 31 resting, at the beginning oi. the article, with its lower end against the periphery of the drum 30, as shown in Fig. l. The stitch cam 8 is then in its normal position and all of the needles are elevated through their normal distance, and depressed at the Following stitch cam 11.

At the beginning of the article one ot the said cams 7, 7 shown as cum 7", drops one of the yarn guides at into its oporntive position to feed yarn to the hooks of all the needles during at least one revolution oil the needle carrier. Certain of the noodles may receive this yarn a second time, as illustrated in Fig. 7-, but the yarn first taken will not knit with re pect to the yarn when taken the second time, there being nothing; to hold the Vttl'll of course 1, (Fig. 7) the yarn guide lever is now elevated to erase feeding any yarn, cain f running from under indicator lever f, whereupon the depression becomes active to drop the stitch cani S to the position shown in Fig. 6, in which position the lonpg'latch needles will not be elevated to clear their latches above the yarn provi'ously taken for course 1. Said yarn rotates idly with the needles, between which it passes at the point where it left them upon the elevation of the yarn guide (13, us at Fig. 7.

The effect of idle revolutions oi the Inachine in the absence of all yarns except that already fed, when the stitch cum 8 is in the lowered position, is to cause the shorter latch needles with respect to the yarn of course 1 first to clear their latches a over said yarn and then to cast oft the bigrhts 71 first taken while retaining the biohis h at each oi the long latch needles, which have not ei'lmnw-xl to clear their latches as shown in Fig. 5;.

. This result will not be accomplished safely, however, if the web-holders 20 are permitted to recede with respect to the retracting needles in their ordinary movement for lzuitting. I therefore arrange the pattern devices ol the machine, which already comsition will not have endangered the retenprises a device m connected to a lever f and cam f on drum fylor moving the web-holder cam 21 inward durin said idle revolutions to maintain the web-holders in an inner position to hold the yarn of course 1 against the faces of the needles to insure closure of the latches c0 and to insure passing the loops or bights cast oil by the short latch needles inwardly behind said needles at their sub-- sequent advance at the following slope 7.

By the described operations I have provided the needles with a run of yarn (which may be double in part) held in the hooks of the long latch needles and held behind the position of the short latch needles, as shown in Fig. 8. The machine may operate idly for as many revolutions as desired with the yarn in this position. The existing devices for moving the shaft s will now rotate the drum 30 to cause the described connection to elevate the leading stitch cam to clear all the needles and simultaneously therewith or prior thereto another or the same yarn guide (13 carrying the desired yarn for the top of the leg of the stocking will be placed in an operativeposition by the connections from cams f or f and the device m will be moved 7 to render the web-holders 2O operative. The second course 2 taken under these circumstances comprlses the, loops w, Fig.9, lying on each side of the yarn of course 1, and

subsequent knitting will be initiated: with respect to said loops, the structure of the first three courses forming a fast SGl'V IG. or edge of the genus described and claimed in my said Letters Patent 1,045,621. The yarn introduced for the second or later course may be a different yarnrtrom the yarn of the first course, or the same yarn. The point of introduction of the yarn of the second course may coincide with the position of the first long latch needle suliiciently elevated to clear its latch, but I prefer to move the sup plemental drum 30. and the main pattern drum 1 in such amanner as to drop in the yarn guide-and operatively position the lead ing stitch cam at thesame time, and therefore to feed yarn to aiew needles con'iprising long latch needles not yet advancedto clear the starting course. The described move ment of the web-holder cam occurring at the same or an earher time, to its operative po-- tion of the yarn of the starting course 1, it prior to the leednig oi new yarn, because olthe position ioi alternate bights of said course behind alternate needles,

or groups of needles, as described.

l. may if desired FEOI'XH the selvage andbegin knitting upon the bare needles, utilizing as hei'orea tucking operation, without the device 01' suspendlng the feedlng of yarn.

during. one or more courses. The existing machine is provided wlth web holders 20 having slopes 20 upon their upper edges,

the arrangement of said. machine being such that when. the web-holder cam 21 is in an inner position yarnsftaken by the needles will be brought down against said slopes 20 andinto the hooks of the web-holders, by the draft of the needle, the web-holders being stationary.-

Referring now to Fig. 10 the initial yarn 1 is fed during normal advance and retraction of the web-holders, or during their occupation of their advanced position, the result in either case being illustrated in Fig. 10, which is a plan showing slopes 20 and the needles, the yarn l entering the hooks of all the needles and being taken into the hooks of all the web holders. Course 2 is now fed to the needles, the web-holders bei'ig in their advanced position, and the ad vanee of the needles being limited to fail to clear the long latch needles. The result is illustrated in Fig. 11 from which it will be understood that the loop of yarn 1 may be knit oil from all of the needles bearing-the short latch 00, while the long latch needles retain their original loop of course 1 and an additional loop of course 2. On the next course tucking on the long latch needles ceases and all 01 the needles advanre to take yarn and knit with respect to their previous yarns, and the web-holders are given a normal movement.

*ig. 12 illustrates two courses 3 and l oinormal fabric so made;

By the operations just described it will be seen that yarn 1 has been passed recurrently back 015'? and in front of the needles so that the normallyknit yarn of course 3 surrounds the yarn of course 1 to form the selvage structure of myusaid patent. Course 2 is1 cast off at all the needles when the needles are worked for course8 forming no permanent structural'part of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 12-

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate the relation oi short and long latch needles respectively to their web-holders when said needles are advanced to take, course 2. y i

In either of the above procedures for forming beginningselvages by a tucking operation it is desirable to feed the initial courseor courses to needles making a movement which, if they were knitting would produce a short stitch, to provide as little yarn as possible for said initial course or-v eourses.

In machines of the type selected for illus-. tration, as'fully specified in the patent above mentioned, the length of stitch automatically adjusted. by raising and lowering the cam-carrier 4: in respect to the remainder oi. the machine to shorten or lengthen the stitch.

It will be understood withoutillustration,

that when the machine is intended to automatically knit one article and then begin to knit another after an idle revolution, that I may provide it with any known or usual form of mechanical latch opener to open the latches of the bare needles prior to feeding the initial course, such for instance as'the latch openerdescribed and claimed in my application Serial No; 845,845 filed June 18,

1 My new devices provide for automatically needles without the use of independently movable jacks or jack cams or other devices.

in use for that purpose at present;

The movable advancing cam constituted by the "upper surface of the cam 8 in my new device is available for tucking for any desired purpose upon the needles having longer latchesg A singleline or row of tuck stitches extending-around the fabric is as ex lained and shownin Fi '3 in the patent to Costello above, a serviceable structure for preventing the running of dropped stitches resulting from a break in the fabric,

" mg course, by retaining cam 8 in its lower position during one revolution of the knitting head at least. Means for securing this movement of the cam 8 may comprise a recessas at 61 in the-supplemental drum 30 at the desired-point to cause the loWerend of the lever 31'to'enter said recess at a predeltermined point in the. passage ofithe needles past the cam 8, and to move said lever 31 out of said recess at the "next or a succeeding revolution, at or nearthe same point.

In the machine improved tin order to adapt it for transferof fabric on to the needles, the sliding block carrying the stitch cams 8, 9, 10 and 11 is'movable by hand ra dially away from the needle cylinder. Y If the. machine is desired to be used for'this purpose, to maintainpressure by the lever 31 against the stitchcam' 8 will render the movement difiicult', and machines intended for this purpose may be provided with a supplemental drum 30 having a depression 55- 62 to be brought opposite the lower end of the lever 31 when the machine stops at the completiou-ofthe previous article to relieve the pressure on the cam 8. Y

It will be evident that the described mechanism comprising drum 30 and lever 31, and the rocker 38 for altering the position of the leading stitch cam is an eifective devicefor cooperating with needles differentiated by the lengths of their latches "or otherwise for any purpose,- such as making fabrics tucked or otherwise ornamented by variations of the stitch knit by one kind of needle.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A knitting machine having in combination needles and means for forming a starting 'selvuge comprising means to lay yarn in the hooks of all the needles, means to cast oil said yarn unknit from recurrent needles only distributed among the remainder, and means for thereafter feeding yarn to and knitting at said recurrent needles and needles intervening between them.

2. A knitting; machine having in combination needles, means to lay an initial yarn in the hooks of all of the needles, means acting to cast said yarn nnknit oil? of recurrent needles,v and means thereafter acting to feed yarn to and knit at all of said needles, whereby said initial yarn is enveloped by said first knit course to form a starting selvage.

3. In a knitting ma hine, needles and yarn feeding devices, and means for operat ing the needles to knit in con-ibination with means for causing cessation of yarn feeding during, op ration of some of the needles only to cast oil their loops.

4. In a knitting machine, needles and yarn feedinp' devices, web-holders, and means for adwin'cmg and retracting said webholders, in combination with means for rendering the retracting means for said webholders inoperative during; the operation of some of the needles to cast oil their loops.

5. In a knitting machine, needles, and means for beginning to knit comprising means for feeding yarn to all of the needles and in "ans for casting said yarn from the hooks of recurrent needles, said casting-oil means so operating); as to retain the yarn in the hooks of other needles and means for advancing said recurrent needles in front of their cast-off bights, said means being: adapted to act prior to normal knitting.

6. In a knitting machine, needles and means for forming a beginninp selvage comprising means to lay yarn in the hooks of all the needles, and. means for operating said needles in the absence of new yarn selectively to cast off said yarn from recurrent needles only distributed among the remainder, prior to normal knittinp at all of said needles.

7. Ina knitting machine, needles and yarn feeding'devices, web-holders and means to operate said needles in the absence of new yarn and in the association with web-hidders held in an advanced position to selectively cast oil the loops of recurrent needles only and advance said needles in front of their cast-off bights prior to normal knitting.

S. In a knitting machine, means acting at the beginning of knitting to form a beginning selvage comprising independent latch needles, means to feed an initial yarn to the said needles, means for clearing the bights of said yarn beneath thelatches of recurrent needles only, and means operating to hold the cast-off bights behind said re current needles, whereby. upon further operation said recurrent needlespass in front of the yarn of said initial course.

9. In a knitting machine, series of needles requiring 'to be advanced before casting-off, yarn feeding devices, and means to render said devices operative at the beginning of knitting with respect to all of said needles, in combination with means forv thereafter rendering said feeding devices inoperative, and means acting to advance and cast off on one series of said needles while said devices are inoperative.

10. In aknitting machine, series of nee dles requiring to be advanced different distances for clearing, yarn feeding devices, and means to render said devices operative at the beginning of knitting, in combination with means for thereafter rendering said feeding devices inoperative, and means for advancing said needles through a distance suiiicient to clear one series onlywhile said devices are inoperative.

11. in a knitting machine, leading and following stitch cams, a series of needles having latches intercalated among a series of needles having shorter latches, yarn feeding devices,and means to render said devices operative for initiating knitting, in combination with means for thereafter rendering said devices inoperative, and means for moving the leading stich cam to change the effective height of one of its surfaces to clear the shorter latch needles only while said devices are inoperative.

12. in a knitting machine the combination with means for feeding yarn and means for rendering said devices inoperative, of independent needles having long and short latches, stitch cams for rotary and reciprocatory work, each stitch cam comprising an advancing surface for elevating the needles to clear their loops below their latches, and means for positioning one of said stitch cams at a low point to clear the short latch needles only during cessation of yarn feeding.

13. in a knitting machine, means for forming a beginning selvage comprising in dependent needles, means to feed an initial course or courses of yarn to the said needles, and means to operate said needles in the absence of new yarn to clear the bights of said yarn beneath the latches and cast oil said bights at recurrent needles only, whereby upon normal operation said recurrent needles pass in front of the yarn of said initial course, and means acting thereafter to normally operate said needles in the presence of knitting yarn to knit another and following courses.

14. In knitting machine, inde iendent needles, yarn feeding devices, means to ac' tuate said yarnfeeding devices to feed an initial yarn to the said needles, means to cause cessation of yarn feedlng, ainlmeans to cast off the bights of said yarn at recur- 15. In av knitting machine, yarn feeding devices and means to cause said devices to cease feeding yarn, in combination with series of latch needles requiring to be ad vanced different distances for clearing their latches, a" cam for advancing the needles, a mounting therefor permitting said cam to be lowered, and means for lowering said cam to prevent clearing of one series of said needles during ope ation of the machine and during cessation of yarn feeding, and means for operating said cam at a predetermined time thereafter while feeding yarn to form tuck stitches. i

16. In a knitting machine, yarn feeding devices and means to cause said devices to cease feeding yarn, in combination with series of latch needles requiring to be advanced different distances for clearing their latches. a cam for advancing the needles, a mounting therefor permitting said cam to be lowered, and means for lowering said cam to prevent clearing of one series of said needles during operation of the machine and during cessation of yarn feeding.

17. The combination in a knitting machine of latch needles, and a cam carrier movable into and out of operative position, with a stitch cam and a needle cam for clearing the needle-latches mounted on said cam,

carrier, said clearing cam being movable on said cam-carrier to a plurality of adjusted positions while in contact with said needles, and means for moving said cam adapted for operation when said cam carrier is operatively positioned.

18. The combination in a knitting machine of latch needles and a cam-carrier movable into and out of operative position, with a needle-cam adapted to lift the needles to clear their latches movable on said camcarrier to a plurality of adjusted positions .while in contact with said needles, and means for contact with said cam to move it when said cam-carrier is in an operative position.

19. The combination in a knitting machine of needles, a stitch cam carrier block having a diagonal face, a needle-cam pivoted for movement on said face, whereby to vary the extent to which said cam moves the needles, a stop determining the position of said cam, and pattern controlled devices for normally holding said cam against said stop. i

' 20 In a knitting machine, needles and a needle cam group comprising a stitch cam needles} 7 I V i in an automatic knitting machine,

ing;sn1 if;-ice for a special movement of the needles and a stitch-cam pivoted to move from anormal operative position to another operative position,-means tending to rotatesaid cam on its pivot out of its normal position, and pattern controlled means for holding said cam in its normal position, and for permitting movement to its other position at predetermined times.

22. In a'circnlar knitting machine, a stitch cam and a mounting therefor having a diagonal face lying in the direction of one of the Working faces of the cam, the cam being a part having a needle-advancing and a needle-retracting surface on its inner end, and being pivoted at a distance from its inner end to move on the diagonal face of its mounting, in combination with means for automatically moving the cam about said pivot to change its effect on the needles.

, 23. Ina stitch-cam device for knitting machines, the combination of a needle-can rier, a block having a diagonal face movable away from said carrier to an inoperative position, a needle cam pivoted to move on said face, and adjusting means for said cam movable in a plane at an angle to the direction of motion oi said block, for contact with said cam when said block is operatively positioned.

24:. The combination in a knitting machine of a needle cam pivoted to move in a diagonal plane, a standard, a rocker pivoted on said standard having one in :o in the plane of said cam, a vertical lever having at one end a member movable therewith in a substantially horizontal plane for contact with the other face of said rocker, and pattern devices for operating said lever.

25. A knitting machine have in combination a stitch cam carrier vertically adjustable to change the length of stitch, a needle cam pivoted to move in a diagonal plane on said cam carrier, a. rocker mounted to take against said cam in any vertical position 01 said cam carrier, pattern mechanism, and a connection thereto mounted on a fixed part of the machine for operative contact with said rocker.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT W. SCOTT.

Viitnesses M 123? F. GRIFFIN, Minor G. Cnozrnn. 

